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<title>Accidental Broom Closet Friendship by VoidLeviathan</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27039007">Accidental Broom Closet Friendship</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoidLeviathan/pseuds/VoidLeviathan'>VoidLeviathan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Coffee-Stained Books - Extra Bits [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Half-Life, The Stanley Parable</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Closets, Fluff, I might go into that more with Stanely, Light-Hearted, Nonverbal Communication, Other, Short One Shot, Sign Language, Sort of?? Sort of..., They're hiding in the broom closet, or with him I mean, when I write more fics for this au about him</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:29:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>752</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27039007</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoidLeviathan/pseuds/VoidLeviathan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nothing could possibly make him feel any worse and more awkward than he already did.</p>
<p>And wouldn't you believe it? Just as Stanley thought this, another young man frantically entered the broom closet and slammed its door shut, pressing his own back firmly against the metal shelving behind him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Stanley &amp; Barney Calhoun, Thats a tag I didnt excpect to ever use</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Coffee-Stained Books - Extra Bits [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Accidental Broom Closet Friendship</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Stanley Press Parable (<em>yes, this is his name. the name he chose himself</em>) was a man with very few friends. It was never that he didn't find anyone to get along with, he was actually quite the likeable, friendly young man, Stanley just simply couldn't find anyone willing to give him the proper time of day. People liked him, he thought, they enjoyed his company. However, no one was willing to spend more than a few hours with him. Most people in the office asked him to do small tasks like take some extra work or go get them their coffee. He initially took this as friendship, but as time went on, Stanley came to realize they were all simply using him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So Stanley did what Stanley does best, he hid himself for the fifth time this month within the confines of the small unused office broom closet. This happened often at work. He wasn't in the mood to press buttons or go on quick coffee trips, he simply wanted to hide and hope the day would get itself over with, fast. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing could possibly make him feel any worse and more awkward than he already did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And wouldn't you believe it? Just as Stanley thought this, another young man frantically entered the broom closet and slammed its door shut, pressing his own back firmly against the metal shelving behind him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From the looks of this man, he seemed stressed and a bit tired. Something about him radiated exhaustion. He didn't look familiar at all, Stanley noted, so he must have been new to the office if not just new to this floor. Stanley didn't quite care who he was, he only hoped this man didn't manage to notice him sitting there in the other corner of this very same broom closet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But oh, he noticed.<br/></span>
  <span>He noticed and he was staring straight at Stanley.</span><br/>
  <span>All Stanley could do was stare straight back, completely bewildered by the situation.<br/></span>
  <span>What do you do in a situation like this?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Apparently according to the other man in the room, you laugh your heart out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"This is going to look </span>
  <em>
    <span>really awkward </span>
  </em>
  <span>when we both leave." He says, voice cracking into yet another fit of giggles. His laughter sounded near heavenly. Not too soon after, Stanley was laughing too. He wasn't wrong, this would look weird once they both left. What were the chances that the both of them ended up in the same closet?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"S-sorry this is such...such a weird situation I just." another laugh, "I was just looking for some place to catch my breath. Wasn't expecting someone else to be in here." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>I was a little startled when you suddenly burst in!</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Stanley signed, his hands near shaking with laughter, "</span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm sorry you thought-</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sorry hold on I uh- I'm not great with ASL. I know the basics but I haven't practiced in years."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right. Needed another way to communicate. Stanley thought up the next best thing and pulled out his phone, pulling up a document to type out his thoughts instead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>'</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sorry about that. I said that you startled me a little when you suddenly burst in. I'm very sorry you thought this closet wasn't occupied.</span>
  </em>
  <span>'</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh! Its no problem, really. I was just looking for a place to breathe. Working in this hell office has me stressed almost hourly, I can only assume you know what thats like, seeing as you're in here."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>'</span>
  <em>
    <span>Absolutely. I've been working here four six years now and not a single day goes by without some sort of new reason to be stressed. No one really ever uses this closet so...it makes for a good hiding place.'</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good enough that I didn't even hear you in here. My names Barney Calhoun, sorry I didn't introduce myself sooner."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stanley placed his phone down, clearing his throat and taking Barney's outstretched hand in his own to shake, "Stanley Press Parable, but you can uhm- you can just call me Stanley."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well its good to hear ya in a talking mood, Stanley!" Barney grinned, "I assume all the work stress got you caught up in a pretty bad situation, huh? My lunch breaks in about an hour if you wanna go ahead and join, if your own breaks around the same time that is."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stanley didn't have many friends, or any that he really ever got along with for that matter, but something about this person was different.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stanley thinks he can get along with this one.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>When I say "Oh Coffee Stained Books is an elaborate crossover AU" I REALLY meant "Coffee Stained Books is a Elaborate Crossover AU" </p>
<p>Barney had friends before his friends. One friend. This is that friend. We'll see more of him later. <br/>'m blogs uh..fuckin,,,whats it called,,,,,,,enby-freeman</p></blockquote></div></div>
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